Baby Proofing
by pompeypearly
Summary: An unexpected pregnancy has Chloe questioning her priorities. Rating may change as story progresses
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Baby Proofing **Fandom**: Smallville **Genre**: Romance **Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver **Rating**: PG **Spoilers:** Smallville, through season 9 up to Checkmate**Summary**: An unexpected pregnancy has Chloe questioning her priorities.

**Author Note: **I have no Betas so all mistakes are entirely my own. All comments and reviews are appreciated, including the "you suck" variety. I also know similar stories have been written with this theme, but this is my take on the situation.

* * *

Chapter One

Of all the things that had scared her in her life, nothing was more terrifying than the small piece of plastic in her hands. Billionaires with less than ethical obsessions? Piece of cake. Aliens bent on world domination? Not a problem. Secretive government agencies? Don't make me laugh. But two little pink lines peering through a small plastic window? That was the scariest thing she had ever faced.

How the hell had this even happened? They were normally so careful. They had never not used protection. Then the realisation slowly dawned on her. "Oh god." That statement was not completely true. The night Chloe had been taken by Checkmate they had been careless.

When she and Oliver had arrived back at Watchtower the emotions of the day had come to a head. Within the space of twenty-four hours Chloe had lost Oliver and visa versa. All of the feelings they had never spoken about, all the emotion they had felt but never shared, everything they never said out loud to each other was declared by the way their mouths crashed together the minute the door was closed. It had been the most passionate, intense night Chloe had ever experienced and if there had been any doubt in her mind that she was falling in love with Oliver Queen then that night made things abundantly clear. In the midst of all this that piece of latex had been forgotten and here she was now staring at her future on a stick. Friends with benefits had just become a whole lot more complicated.

She had never considered the possibility that she would ever be a mother. There was a time with Jimmy that she had allowed herself the indulgence of dreaming about children, a picket fence, maybe even a dog. She had known in her heart back then what she knew now - that life as Watchtower was far to dangerous. There was no certainty that you could always protect the ones you loved. Again Jimmy was the most obvious example. All of the Justice League had at one point been taken against their own free will, herself included. How could she protect a defenceless child from what a team of heroes had failed to protect their selves from? Her life was just not baby proof.

If she had just been carrying the baby of Oliver Queen then maybe she could deal with the situation as any other woman in her situation would. But this baby was also the result of the coupling of Green Arrow and his Watchtower, two individuals high on the watch list of Checkmate. They had tried to use Green Arrow to get to her. What would they do if they discovered they had a child? He or she would just be another pawn in their game, and pawns were cannon fodder.

She needed some time. She needed to think through what _her next move was. She should tell Oliver but already Chloe knew that she wasn't ready for that just yet. She wasn't ready for his reaction no matter what it was. He was in Star City for the next few days so she would be able to think things through._

_She looked down at her flat stomach. It was strange to think that there was a life in there. She felt no different. Shouldn't she feel different? She idly rubbed her stomach and imagined the small heartbeat galloping away. "What are we going to do?"_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_Two Weeks Later_

She had been through every scenario possible. She had made lists and weighed the pros and cons. At first she had considered relocating to Star City to be closer to more members of the league, but that did not their guarantee safety. Checkmate operatives knew who she was and therefore still a target with a glaringly obvious vulnerability. She thought about pretending the baby was not Oliver's, but he was not an idiot. There was no other way that she could keep her baby and keep him or her safe, and there was no chance in hell that she would give up her baby. She knew what it felt like to be abandoned by your mother and the pain never went away no matter how good the intentions.

There had been a sense of déjà vu as she left the bank that morning. Just over a year ago she had closed her bank accounts ready to live on the run with Davis to protect those she loved. Now she was taking the same steps for the same reasons but she was on her own. If Chloe Sullivan disappeared then the League would be safe; Oliver would be safe; her child would be safe.

Chloe had sold her faithful little Yaris and bought a cheap old car to help transport her to her new life. She wouldn't be keeping it. It was only the first step and she knew there were those who would be trying to trace her steps. The trunk and back seat were filled with bags and boxes. Amongst the clothes there were photo albums and memories she couldn't bear to leave behind including a tiny souvenir spoon.

She had become so adept at creating new identities for the Kandorians that creating one for herself was not a problem. Erasing all of the evidence had taken a little longer. Chloe knew that there was a good chance Clark or Oliver would try to chase her down using Watchtower's systems but the effort she put in to stop them would be worth it. She just wished that she could have had the coffee she craved to help her through because there was only so much make up could do to hide the dark circles under her eyes.

The brown envelope in front of her contained everything she would need to start over. Chloe Sullivan would just disappear. Jennifer Hanniger would be making a new life for herself in Gotham as a freelance writer. Who knows, maybe she could try for a journalist position? She would be leaving the hero business behind her, maybe this would be the perfect opportunity to return to her roots.

For the past hour she had been standing, looking at the front door of the Talon apartment. She was all set to go, all she needed to do was walk out that door. She knew what was stopping her. She felt as though she needed to leave an explanation, that there was a good reason. More than anything it was the guilt of not telling Oliver that he was going to be a father, that she would be robbing him of the opportunity to be a part of this child's life. They had spoken on the phone everyday for the past two weeks and since she had made the decision to leave she felt like she was a lying, cold hearted bitch. Wasn't that why she had started this thing with Oliver? To avoid becoming that?

"I can't do it. I can't do it yet." She spoke to herself, sighing as she dropped her bag to the floor. One chance. She was going to give Oliver one chance, she owed him that much. The car was packed and it could stay that way. Oliver was due back that afternoon, maybe she could catch him as he made his way to Watchtower.

_________


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Baby Proofing **Fandom**: Smallville **Genre**: Romance **Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver **Rating**: PG **Spoilers:** Smallville, through season 9 up to Checkmate**Summary**: An unexpected pregnancy has Chloe questioning her priorities.

**Author Note: **I have no Betas so all mistakes are entirely my own. All comments and reviews are appreciated, including the "you suck" variety. I also know similar stories have been written with this theme, but this is my take on the situation. Also I have taken on board the reviews about my crappy chapter lengths and I have worked on making this one more substantial. Thank you!

Chapter Three

A text message from Chloe had let him know where she was. He felt like a teenager bounding up the stairs to the watchtower, grasping a bunch of white tulips in his hand. He had missed her - pure and simple. The two weeks away from Chloe had given him the time he needed to convince himself that he was on the right train of thought. There was no way he had imagined the small changes in their relationship. Over the last couple of months there had been signs that the Queen charm was wearing her down. That was when he decided that he was going to woo Chloe Sullivan whether she welcomed it or not.

Something felt off as he walked through the double doors. There was a noticeable lack of activity, the numerous monitors were off and the familiar coffee aroma was absent. He placed the flowers on the kitchen countertop and walked further into the room. "Chloe?"

"I'm here." She was descending the stairs from the upper level. He could see the faint glow of her laptop screen reflecting in the stained glass windows up above.

Not waiting he crossed the room and captured her in his arms, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips . "Hi."

"Hi." She responded, gently returning the hug.

He could see the dark circles under her eyes, and her trademark smile was missing. His own smile faltered. "Is everything ok?"

The phone conversations they had had while he'd been away had been just as normal as ever. Oliver could feel a growing knot in his stomach as she stepped out from the circle of his arms.

"Something has happened, and I need for you to really think about what I am going to tell you. I don't want any impulsive declarations, I just want you to try to approach this with an open mind."

"Oo-kay, you're scaring me here Sidekick."

Chloe walked over to the purple sofa and sat down. She reached for one of the throw cushions and started to pick off imaginary pieces of lint. She took a deep breath and braced herself. Best to just put it out there quickly, no messing around. Just like ripping off a band aid.

"Oliver, I'm pregnant." She should have felt some relief getting it off of her chest but all she felt was a swirl of nausea.

The silence seemed to fill the room as minutes passed. She lifted her eyes and saw that he hadn't moved an inch. He was doing a very good impression of a goldfish but he was still yet to say anything.

She snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Yep, that's pretty much what I said when I found out."

"Pregnant?"

"Yeah."

He took a seat next to her, his head swirling with every emotion and question possible. "How…when..?"

"If I need to give the billionaire playboy the birds and bees talk then I am in more trouble than I realised."

He ignored the snark. "No, I mean, we've been careful haven't we?"

"I thought so too. I thought back and there was that night when I was the VIP guest of checkmate. Looks like we both got a bit caught up with the adrenaline of the day."

"A baby huh? Wow." A small smile crept onto his face.

"It's a lot to take on board, I know. It's taken some time for me to get used to the idea."

His eyebrows quirked upwards "How long have you known?"

"Two weeks." She said sheepishly.

"You didn't think to call me? If you wanted to tell me to my face all you had to do was tell me you needed me here, I would have been on the first flight back."

"To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to tell you at all." She steeled herself for his response.

"You weren't going to tell me?" A look passed over his face that Chloe couldn't quite read. Then he looked up and fixed his gaze on her green eyes "Oh. I get it. You're not wanting to keep it." His voice was quiet. She could swear he sounded disappointed.

"No!" she nearly shouted. The vehemence of her declaration startled him. "I couldn't do that. I wouldn't."

"I can't see how you would think I wouldn't notice Chloe. There tend to be physiological changes with pregnancy that would be hard for me to miss."

"I was going to leave. I wanted to run; part of me still wants to."

"Leave?!"

Chloe sprung up from the sofa and began to pace. "This was supposed to be about friends with benefits," She gestured with her hands between the two of them. "If that didn't make things complicated enough how am I supposed to raise a child amongst all this?" She waved her arms around indicating the watchtower.

Oliver was starting to wonder if hormones could send pregnant women crazy this early on. "You were really going to leave? Just like that?"

Chloe couldn't ignore the hurt in his voice. "How am I supposed to protect this baby when I can't even keep myself out of trouble? Have you met me? I have been attracting trouble since I was in high school! I feel like the only choice I have is to leave Chloe Sullivan behind in Metropolis and go underground somewhere else."

"At what point did you think you were going to do this on your own?" He stood up and took her hands in his. "There wasn't much talk about sharing the responsibility in that insane ramble."

"I already love this baby so much I want to be able to protect it, and with the life we lead I'm not sure that's possible. I didn't want to assume anything of you Oliver. "

"Just answer one question. If you felt this strongly about leaving why are you here now? Why aren't you halfway across the state?"

The tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. She tried to blink them back but only caused them to fall across her cheeks. "I tried. I have a car packed with my life in it ready to go…I… I just needed you to know. I couldn't do it to you, I had to at least give you the opportunity to have a decision on what I have to do next."

Oliver cupped her face in his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. "Chloe, when I came here tonight it was with the intention of seeing if we could make a go of things. I want us to have a future together, and although a baby wasn't something I was considering, I can't say that I am disappointed it has happened."

He could feel her try to pull away "Please, just hear me out Chlo. Whether you are ready to hear it or not I am in love with you, and I will love this baby too. There is nothing that I would not do to make sure you two are safe." He closed the small distance between them, his forehead touching hers. "Stay with me. Please. I swear you will never regret it." He pleaded

"So much for no impulsive declarations." She smirked.

"Kinda waiting on an answer here Sidekick." He was absently massaging circles with his fingers at the nape of her neck, her eyes closed involuntarily at his soothing touch.

This was what she had unknowingly wanted in the back of her mind. She wanted him to stop her. She needed him to anchor her, she didn't want to run away from him and everything they could be. She loved him even if it scared her too much to say the words out loud yet.

She nodded her head. "Okay."

"Okay?" He eyes fixed on hers intently "Okay you'll stay or okay to us?"

"All of it."

"You sure?" The grin on his face was infectious, she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Yeah. Yeah I am."

His grin turned in to a full blown smile. It was the smile that made the butterflies flutter and her toes curl whenever she was on the receiving end. He tipped her head slightly by nudging her nose with his and kissed her with everything he had. Chloe has never felt such intensity in a kiss before and she knew that she would never be able to walk away now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Baby Proofing

**Fandom**: Smallville

**Genre**: Romance

**Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver

**Rating**: PG

**Spoilers:** Smallville, through season 9 up to Checkmate

**Summary**: An unexpected pregnancy has Chloe questioning her priorities.

**Author Note: **I have no Betas so all mistakes are entirely my own. All comments and reviews are appreciated, including the "you suck" variety. I also know similar stories have been written with this theme, but this is my take on the situation. This is my first multi chapter fic ever so here's hoping the plot bunny doesn't just up and leave!

**Author Note 2:** Sill sticking with the idea that Lois believes she is the only one who knows about Oliver's 'green leather fetish'.

Chapter Four

The previous evening Chloe and Oliver had laid everything on the table and he had convinced her that running away was not the answer. Witnessing this new protective streak of his, Chloe was starting to wonder what she had let herself in for.

Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, her back to the large monitors of watchtower. She looked every inch an imposing figure despite her short stature. "I've already told you once, I am not moving in with you!"

"Will you just hear me out on this?" Oliver threw his hands up in exasperation. They had been circling around the same problem for the past half hour.

"I'm still trying to get my head around the fact we are in a relationship. Moving in together is jumping the gun don't you think?"

'_So says the woman pregnant with my child_' he added to himself mentally.

"I promised you that I would do everything I can to keep you and the baby safe. This is me keeping trying to keep that promise. " Oliver moved to stand in front of her, his arms crossed at his chest. "There aren't many who can boast that they have the Green Arrow as their own personal security system."

"The clocktower is hardly baby proof."

"And neither is your apartment at the Talon. You live with Lois and he knack for running into trouble runs in the family. Besides, can you really imagine your cousin around a baby? " He failed to bite back the small laugh.

Chloe glared back "Do you really want me to respond to that? Because the words will not be pretty." Oliver wrapped his arms around the glowering blonde and smiled at her. "Don't think about trying to charm me Queen. This is a charm free zone."

"Well how about a compromise?" He kissed her softly on the lips

"A compromise?"

He nodded and kissed her again. "We both know that staying where you are is not an option. Its not just about safety, in the long term there won't be enough room for you and the baby. We agree on that right?"

"Yeah, I can agree with that." She quirked her eyebrows, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Oh don't give me that look." He laughed "Now what I suggest is you move in with me _temporarily _until we find you a place here in Metropolis that we can both agree on. "

"Is this some underhanded attempt of getting what you want? Why do I have the feeling that if I move in there will suddenly be a distinct lack of appropriate apartments in the listings? "

"Should I be offended by that?!" He couldn't deny that the thought hadn't crossed his mind "Okay I promise you, no tricks. We'll find you somewhere great, get Victor in to help you make the place secure, and I will _personally_ move you in." He kissed her again, this time on the side of her neck. He felt her shiver slightly as his hot breath trailed across her skin

"If we do this, we agree that it's only temporary?"

"Mmm hmm" he continued to kiss her neck making his way to her jaw line.

"And this is your way of getting me to agree to it?" Her voice sounded breathy, even to her.

"Is it working?" He lightly bit her earlobe. She could feel the goosebumps break out across her skin.

"You fight dirty, Queen."

"Give me an hour and I'll show you just how dirty I can be."

She couldn't help laughing "Hold that thought Romeo, I have to meet Lois in fifteen minutes."

"She's always late, we have the time." He dove in for a kiss trying to distract her from a response. Chloe could feel his hands start to slip under the hem of her shirt and caress the skin of her lower back.

"If I recall its because of these wandering hands I have to see Lois today." She smoothly tried to detach herself from his embrace before her resolve disappeared completely. She knew she would only be able to resist him for so long.

He sighed and reluctantly let her go. "You're telling her about the baby ? You sure you don't want to leave it a couple of days? Give me time to jet to a country far, far way?"

"The sooner the better. Like you said, I share a small apartment with her. If she even suspects that something is different she'll be like a pitbull on a pant leg. Do you really want Mad Dog Lane charging to your penthouse because she worked things out before we could tell her?"

The thought of Lois storming into his home threatening to relocated his arrows into potentially painful places didn't really appeal to him. And that was only if she didn't have the time to have the General mobilise half the US Army.

"If Lois knows it will only be a matter of time before it gets back to Clark. Are you ready for that?" He picked up her jacket and held it up for her to slip her arms through.

Chloe's shoulders slumped at the thought. "Not really, but it doesn't seem like I have a choice. We all know that the chances of Lois keeping this a secret are as likely that I'm not going through caffeine withdrawal."

"You want me to go with you to tell him?"

"To be honest I would rather you lock yourself away somewhere underground surrounded by meteor rocks."

"You really think it will be that bad?" Oliver couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm expecting a non-violent overreaction, but the kryptonite might shut him up long enough for you to get a word in edgeways. I'm not sure which one of us will get the longer lecture, I might have to keep some with me just in case." She swung her bag onto her shoulder and picked up her mobile phone. "I'll call him after I've seen Lois. She might be able to act as a buffer, keep him from blowing things out of proportion."

"You want me to drop you off?"

"I can do with the walk."

"You sure?"

She saw concern on his face and gave him a swift peck on the lips "I'll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to me in broad daylight in the middle of the city."

"Just be careful."

"I will." She kissed him again before leaving.

Oliver sighed as he took a bottled water from the fridge. As eventful as the last twenty-four hours had been, he had a feeling life was not going to be normal around here for a some time to come.

"Let me get this straight, not only are you having his baby but you're moving in with him?" Lois could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"I'll only be living there until I find somewhere to live in Metropolis."

"For friends just having a little horizontal fun you guys seem to be leaping through some fairly major relationship milestones here!"

"Lois, it's fine, really. Ollie and I have decided to make a go of things; and before you say anything this is not just because of the baby. We've been dancing around this for a little while." She smiled at her cousin reassuringly.

"Are you sure this is what you really want? Because if its not I have no problem going over there and kicking his ass!" A few of the fellow bistro patrons looked over their way at her outburst.

"Lois!" She whispered harshly, trying to ignore the dirty looks they were currently receiving. "You said yourself this relationship could be one for the win column, so let's just leave the threats of physical violence for now?"

"But moving in with him? Are you sure? Was this your idea or his?"

"It was his idea, but I've told him this is only temporary." Chloe picked up her decaf and winced as she took a sip.

"Are you sure you want to? I mean, I don't want you to think you have to move out. It would take a bit of juggling but we could find a way to make it work. You could take my room, give you more space, more privacy?"

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer Lo, but I think it's for the best. Besides, do you realise the torture its going to be for me to live above a coffee shop for eight months while on a caffeine ban? "

"Maybe for that reason alone I should be happy about you moving out. I'll send Oliver my condolences." Lois smirked as she helped herself to a spoonful of Chloe's tiramisu. "Do you think Hallmark have a card for that?"

Chloe started to eat her dessert wanting to at least try it before Lois would decide to snag the rest. "I just need to ask one favour of you."

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Don't mention any of this to Clark, at least until I have told him about the baby."

"You think he's going to freak out." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Look at his reaction when he found out about me and Oliver in the first place. He's hardly been supportive and he hasn't exactly kept his disapproval a secret."

"If Smallville gives you any trouble just let me know and I'll give him a few words of wisdom from the 'Lois Lane Guide to Not Being an Ass'. "

Chloe smirked. She knew that Lois' words of wisdom would probably include a well timed slap. She just hoped her cousin didn't break the bones in her hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: Baby Proofing 5/5

**Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver

**Rating**: PG

**Spoilers:** Through season 9 up to Checkmate

**Summary**: An unexpected pregnancy has Chloe questioning her priorities.

**Author Note: **I have no Betas so all mistakes are entirely my own. All comments and reviews are appreciated, including the "you suck" variety.

**Author Note 2:** OK, I might not have been exactly fair to Clark in this chapter, but the guy has been p*ssing me off this season in his treatment of Chloe. There was only the briefest of mentions about this in Checkmate and I don't like that the subject was brushed under the carpet so quickly. I just hope I haven't gone too OOC. Really not happy with this chapter which kind of sucks as this is the last one. There may well be a sequel depending on how this is received.

_Chapter Five_

Chloe couldn't believe how quickly she had packed up her life into boxes. Of course it helped that the majority of her belongings were already bagged from the 'road-trip-that-never-happened'. She placed the last suitcase by the door. Oliver had already taken the first few boxes to his penthouse to give her time to finish up.

The rush of air that rustled her hair let her know that she was no longer alone. She turned to see Clark standing in the open doorway with a face like thunder.

"Hello Clark."

"When were you going to tell me?" he demanded.

Chloe rolled her eyes. Obviously they were going to have this conversation the hard way. "I see that Lois managed to keep it a secret for all of three minutes."

"She didn't say anything directly, but when Lois Lane would rather look at baby outfits online than fact check her by-line it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on. There's only one person I know that she would do that for."

Chloe sighed. "I wanted to tell you yesterday. You know if you had bothered to return the dozen or so messages I left for you, then you wouldn't have had to play Sherlock Holmes. I could have told you myself." She said as she stacked the final box by the door.

The movement seemed to finally draw his eyes to her current task. "You're moving out?" Chloe nodded in response.

"Are you moving in with Oliver?!" His voice seemed to be getting louder as he strode into the room.

"There is no need for you to be so indignant!" She placed her hands firmly on her hips, ready to draw the battle lines. "I am moving in with Oliver until I can find somewhere more secure to live in the city, closer to watchtower. I'm not about to let this baby be a potential pawn in any Checkmate/Kandorian games. I would have hoped that as my best friend you would understand that!"

"Don't you think you're rushing things?" His voice was softer now "It wasn't three weeks ago that you two were just 'having fun', and now you're pregnant with his child and about to play happy families?"

"He gets me Clark. He loves me and is willing to take everything I am - the good, the bad, the secrets. I can truly be myself with him. I have _never_ had that before. I would have thought you would want that for me. Don't you think I deserve some happiness?"

"Of course you do! But Jimmy has only been gone for a year and -"

"And if it wasn't for Oliver I would never have moved on from Jimmy's death. I have been _so alone _trying to deal with everything since that day. Everyone expected me to just deal and even when my supposed best friend decided that I was nothing more than a resource in his life, Ollie was there for me. I feel like a person again."

Clark felt a pang of guilt at her words. He decided not to address that elephant in the room because he had no good reason for keeping her from his life and they both knew it.

Clark stood in front of her and lightly put his hands around her upper arms. "But this is such a big change. Don't you think you're rushing in too quick and setting yourself up for a fall?" He looked directly into her eyes, willing her to understand his concerns.

"If I fall I know he'll be the one there to catch me." Her lips tightened with anger, and the strain could be heard in her voice. "It's not as if we haven't thought anything through. Sure, this isn't the way we would have wanted to do things, but this baby is coming and we're just going to make the best of a given situation."

Clark dropped his grip on her arms. "It's just…I'm sorry. I don't want to see you hurt again."

"I am scared about so many things, but I love him Clark. And I am happy, I really am. What I really need is my friend back and for him to be supportive in my decisions. I _can _do this without you but I would prefer not to."

This conversation was leaving her exhausted. She was so tired of walking on egg shells around Clark lately that she could feel it in her bones.

"There was a time you would never have thought you had to ask me that. When did things get so bad between us Chloe?"

"I think we both have a good idea when." She said sadly. She was interrupted by a knock on the open door.

"Everything alright Chloe?" Oliver had appeared at the doorway. He walked into the room, but his eyes were all on Clark. The look he was received back was less than friendly. He didn't need to know what had been said between the two friends but he could tell that Chloe has been anything but comforted by her best friend's presence.

"Yes, everything's fine Ollie. Clark is just digesting our good news."

Oliver didn't need to be a mind reader to realise that Clark had been thinking that their news was anything but good; you could cut through the tension in the air with a knife.

"Yeah. The good news. I suppose a congratulations are in order." Clark offered Oliver his hand to shake.

It wasn't the death grip Oliver was expecting but it was obvious Clark couldn't resist putting more strength than necessary into it. He leaned into Oliver in what seemed like an attempt to pat his back from Chloe's viewpoint. "Hurt her and I swear they'll never find the body." He whispered.

"Thank you, we appreciate your support Clark. It means a lot to us." Oliver smiled.

Chloe frowned in their direction. She wasn't an idiot, she knew Clark wasn't playing nice, but she was willing to let it slide if it would keep the peace for the time being. He would come down from his pedestal eventually and come to accept it. Who knows, he might even like the idea of being involved in their lives in the future.

"I hate to ruin the moment here guys but we've really got to get going if we're going to be finished here and in Metropolis by nightfall." She said motioning to the three boxes and suitcases.

Oliver let go of Clark's hand and grabbed the two bags by the door. "I'll take these on down." He looked over at Chloe who gave him a nod of her head.

"I'll be by the car if you need me." He left the apartment but left the door open hoping Clark would take the hint.

"Do you need a hand? I don't think you should be lifting in your condition." Clark said.

"I'm pregnant, not incapable."

"Please. I want to."

"Okay." she gave him a small smile "If you could take those boxes downstairs I would appreciate it. Put those super-muscles to some good use."

He looked into her eyes before moving. "I just want you to know that I am sorry Chloe. I have been the worst friend this last year, but I promise to be here for you from now on."

"Just a social call on occasion would be enough for me Clark." She smiled genuinely at him "I know that time between being the Blur and entertaining Lois is scarce."

"I will always make time for you." He drew her into one of his signature hugs.

Chloe used to revel in their warmth and draw such comfort from them once upon a time, but they were different now. They were comforting and secure for the time they lasted, but Chloe had that voice in the back of her head telling her that it was a short term pleasure. As much as Clark might want to change his priorities at this moment in time she knew that he would probably slip back into his bad habits. Oliver's love may have allowed her to let go of Jimmy, but it hadn't cured her of her pessimism when it came to her friend.

"I know you will." She lied.

Oliver carried the final box out of the elevator to see that Chloe had merely piled her belongings in a corner of the penthouse.

"I know you've had a long day but don't you want to get a head start on unpacking?" He asked as he placed the final box by the coffee table.

Chloe poked her head out from the bedroom "There's nothing in the boxes that I need straight away, they'll stay packed until I find the new place."

Oliver sighed. She really was determined to make this move as short lived as possible. "You're at least going to unpack your clothes, right?" He asked as he walked into the bedroom.

"Well I don't plan on living out of a suitcase for the next couple of weeks."

"You really think that you'll only be here for two weeks?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Is the thought of living with me that bad?"

"Oliver…" Her tone was threatening.

"Okay, Okay." His hands drifted to her hips pulling her closer to him, his thumbs rubbing circles along her stomach. "But you can't blame me for wanting to keep you all to myself."

Chloe wrapped her arms lightly around his neck and looked into his chocolate brown eyes. "It's not that I would hate living with you because I know that's not true. I just don't want us to be overwhelmed. So much is happening that I'm afraid that if there's too much too soon I'm going to freak out. "

"I'm not going to push. As long as you're not saying never then I am happy to wait." He tucked a stray blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you."

She stood on her toes and softly kissed his lips "I love you too."

A wide grin spread across Oliver's face. It was the first time she had spoken the words to him, and he knew that it wasn't easy for her to admit out loud. She was letting her walls down for him - slowly but surely.

Elsewhere in Metropolis a thick manilla envelope was exchanged between two strangers. "Inform the White Queen. The target has relocated, extra surveillance measures need to be initiated."


End file.
